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Events in the life of screenwriter and Montecito resident Steven Kunes read like the plot of 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, the true story of a con artist and impostor that Kunes says he helped craft into a Hollywood script. Like the movie’s main character, the 54-year-old Pennsylvania native enjoyed a lavish lifestyle at the expense of people across the country for years, bouncing from town to town and employing an arsenal of financial devilries, including — but not limited to — stealing, “washing,” and forging checks. And like his big-screen counterpart, Kunes’s high jinks not only left angry victims and alienated family members in his wake but also landed him behind bars. Right now he sits in County Jail on a no-bail parole violation, arrested on March 17 for purportedly swindling his friend, former Café Buenos Aires owner Wally Ronchietto, out of $2,000 for a movie deal that doesn’t exist.

Courtesy Photo

BUSTED, AGAIN: Steven Kunes enjoyed a reasonably successful career writing for TV shows and movies in the 1980s and ’90s but took to a life of criminal deceit when he stopped landing jobs.

In a recent interview, Ronchietto said he got to know and like Kunes — who enjoyed a successful career in the 1980s writing for TV shows like Love Boat and Out of This World — when he’d frequent the restaurant and talk about his days in Hollywood. He claimed to have written Johnny Carson’s final monologue and spoke of his more contemporary work on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, explaining his name didn’t appear in the credits because he was part of a larger writing group. Over drinks one night, Ronchietto told Kunes a story about a talented female tango violinist who had a hard time breaking into the area’s notoriously tight-knit circle of Argentinian musicians. Ronchietto had filmed much of her journey to acceptance — she went on to play at the Walt Disney Concert Hall — because he knew she’d enjoy looking back on her hard work. Kunes wanted to turn the footage into a movie and said he’d get a contract with his buddy, producer/director Robert Zemeckis.

Shortly thereafter, Kunes forwarded an email he claimed was written by Zemeckis that green-lighted the project. Kunes explained to Ronchietto that they’d each have to put up $2,000 to secure a well-known film editor, and Ronchietto cut Kunes a check, expecting him to forward it on. At this point, though, Ronchietto was feeling the inklings of suspicion and contacted Zemeckis himself. Zemeckis replied that he’d never heard of Kunes or the project. The forwarded email, Ronchietto said, was completely fabricated and the $2,000 went into Kunes’s bank account, not the editor’s. He contacted police, and they arrested Kunes on charges of theft by false pretenses and resisting arrest. Sergeant Dan McGrew, who worked the case, said there were other victims similarly scammed, but they didn’t want their names publicly released. Kunes declined to be interviewed for this story, and his attorney, public defender Mindi Boulet, didn’t return calls for comment.

Kunes has been in and out of trouble since 1999 with felony convictions of forgery, grand theft, and false use of financial information. He was implicated for participating in a Los Angeles caper during which 13 victims lost a total of $319,000 after fake credit cards were made in their names. In 2001, a Santa Barbara resident filed a forgery report with detectives who determined Kunes stole two checks from the man’s mailbox and used chemicals to erase the writing on them, replacing the information with his own. Kunes reportedly used the redirected funds to make car payments and pay for a golf club membership. During the course of their investigation, Santa Barbara detectives learned Kunes was on the radars of police departments in San Mateo, Palo Alto, and Thousand Oaks for similar reported crimes. He also allegedly left victims in Princeton, New Jersey, and East Levittown, Pennsylvania, near where he grew up. Kunes was found guilty for the 2001 check-washing incident but temporarily avoided jail time when he took a plea deal and was placed on felony probation. He violated his probation, though, in a different forgery case and was sentenced to two years, eight months in November 2007.

He convinced Mayor Helene Schneider’s office to book her for the night so she could read a proclamation lauding Center Stage’s and Kunes’s success, and then present a check for $15,000 that Kunes had supposedly secured from an investor.

Not long after he was released, Kunes rented Center Stage Theater for a reading of his play, Hopeless Romantic, which he penned during his jail sentence. Teri Ball, executive director of Center Stage, said Kunes wanted to give the night’s proceeds back to the playhouse, which she agreed to. But Ball said Kunes then went around town falsely representing Center Stage — at the time it was about to celebrate its 20th anniversary — and trying to raise money for it. He convinced Mayor Helene Schneider’s office to book her for the night so she could read a proclamation lauding Center Stage’s and Kunes’s success, and then present a check for $15,000 that Kunes had supposedly secured from an investor. Schneider delivered her ceremonial address, but was caught off guard when she was told there actually was no check. Ball said she never saw any of the night’s income of around $750, a good portion of which came from Kunes himself, who bought a stack of tickets for friends. Checks written by Kunes to actors and set builders allegedly bounced back to them because, although the routing numbers were correct, they linked to an East Coast account that didn’t exist. When confronted, Kunes made good with some people by paying them in cash.

Four years ago, Kunes sold an interview with Jimmy Buffett — who was about to play the Santa Barbara Bowl — to The Daily Sound. After it ran, publisher Jeramy Gordon got a call from Buffett’s people who said they’d never spoken with Kunes and the interview was completely made up. (Over the past year, he’s written unsolicited guest commentaries on a wide range of issues for this paper and Noozhawk.) The Buffett sham smacked of an incident in 1982 when Kunes was sued by J.D. Salinger for trying to sell a fake interview with the reclusive author to People magazine. The two sides eventually settled out of court.

Those who know him say Kunes is a troubled soul. During court proceedings in the 2001 forgery case, Kunes himself admitted to the judge that he “snapped” in 1999 when his career hit the skids, and he said he felt “horrible” that he stole from people who trusted him. A psychologist who testified on his behalf suggested he’d benefit more from group therapy and medication than incarceration.

Kunes is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on May 4.

Comments

Okay, since I'm one of the people this Sociopath scammed, I feel it is my duty to put my story out there. First of all kudos to the restraunteur who stepped forward and took the initiave to call the police. I have been a victim by Mr. Steven Kunes on many levels. I in fact put him behind bars and tried to keep him there by contacting some of the other victims here in our area. Most of them would not come forward either due to embarrassment or because he got into their hearts. Hence the title of my book "Hearts & minds" he gets into your heart through your mind. He usually preys on wealthy women. I've heard every story possible from his victims. If you were one of them contact the arresting officer and go to court and keep him in this time. Please people.. How long must he continue to lie, steal identities? He is a pathological liar and a Socipath and an alcoholic. It just amazes me how he continues to scam people with the same old lies.

What say ye ladies? How many of you have the gonads to reveal your names. I have known Steven for over 20 years and found him to be a true friend. He has helped me and so many others without asking for anything in return. Yet the women who refuses to marry had better look in the mirror and see what is real. Or better yet visit their shrink for advice. Money should be no object since you are all rich. LOLGet a life !!!

Malibumom and Malibudad is this a "Catfish".This is getting weirder by the minute. You guys comment from either side of the aisle.Are you a couple?

I heard about this guy at dinner last weekend. He is working within the recover community as well.How freaking scary. No one is safe from crazy.I hope Mr Kunes gets locked up for a good long time.Help? Well I am note sure. You have to be willing to get help.He sure has burned all his bridges on this coast I would say.He really tried to mess with really well liked people too.Real sociopathic behavior.

Trying to decipher "Malibudad1" makes me think he should seek recovery, borderline Charlie Sheen material there. Perpetrating fraud on people whether they be rich or poor is wrong, and anyone who is sincerely in recovery wouldn't be engaging in such shenanigans. Seems like he was merely exploiting the recovery community for his own ego and profit.

This guy is ALL over the internet.All over SB.Like a bad BAD virus.Can't he be shut down? Put out of business?Silenced?What an A**hole.Now no one who is ligit is going to get a second look.What a HUGE duesch bag.AND...and...and...he has children!Which he exploits.OMG.Hate is too pale a word for what I feel for this guy at this moment.He has savagely hurt my friends and that I cannot forgive.I say lock him in the loony bin ...and throw away the key.Oh yeah...I have a new screenplay called..."Throw Away The Key!"

I love how someone updated his Wikipeda page to reflect his current status, right under his awards. Taking advantage of peoples kindness is no way to go through life and Im sure he will figure that out at some point.

After reading the comments on this article I am totally amused. I didn't believe some of the surly dirty wording was permitted. Therefore I pay little attention to those who resort to such words.It seems to me that Mr. Kunes has hurt himself more than the so-called victims. That is not to say someone losing some money or feeling betrayed in the confidence of a friend is not also effected. White collar crimes seem to be with us everywhere. We see it by those we have admired for years. Need I mention the politicians, movie stars, teachers, and even law enforcement as examples. But the truth that we don't want to talk about is we are all vulnerable in something we have done wrong in the past. However how quickly we jump on others. We see what we want to see, we hear what we want to hear and we believe in what we want to believe. The time is now to help those who need help. That includes those with mental problems. Incarceration rarely cures those who have this type illness.

If you know anything about mental illness you should know that jails do not cure but produce hardened criminals. Our jails are full of mentally ill people. Why can't the Courts come up with rehabilitation sentences where medical and psychological help produce what is needed. Mental illness requires treatment as we do for other diseases like Cancer or Heart or Diabetes and the list goes on. Do you think anyone wants to be mentally ill? I hope you have no one in your family that suffers from this ailment. If you did then you would realize how far reaching the effects can be felt.Try compassion for both sides if you truly want to be a caring individual.Enough said.